1. Aim: How did the Neolithic Revolution lead to civilization?

2. Otzi the Ice Man
“Ever since a pair of hikers stumbled upon his astonishingly well-preserved frozen body in the Alps in 1991, Ötzi has become one of the most-studied ancient human specimens. His face, last meal, clothing and genome have been reconstructed — all contributing to a picture of Ötzi as a 45-year-old, hide-wearing, tattooed agriculturalist who was a native of Central Europe (5,300 years ago!) and suffered from heart disease, joint pain, tooth decay and probably Lyme disease before he died. None of those conditions, however, directly led to his demise. A wound reveals Ötzi was hit in the shoulder with a deadly artery-piercing arrow, and an undigested meal in the Iceman's stomach suggests he was ambushed... A few years ago, a CAT scan indicated Ötzi also suffered a blow to the head that knocked his brain against the back of his skull during the fatal attack.” –Huffington Post 2013

3. I What was the Neolithic Revolution?
From the time of the first hominid (6-7 million years ago), until 8,000 BCE was the Paleolithic (Old Stone Age).
In 8,000 BCE the Neolithic Revolution changed the way humans live around the world. People learned how to farm, settled in communities, and domesticated animals.
A revolution is a sudden, radical or complete change in a society.
OLD STONE AGE
NEW STONE AGE

5. Animal Domestication, Beer, and Bread
C) During the Neolithic, people began to breed wild animals in order to create more docile offspring. These animals were often used to help in farming.
D) Archaeologists are still debating which came first; beer or bread? Yeast is required for bread to rise and grain sugars to turn into alcohol. Whatever the answer, Neolithic people planted grain such as barley and wheat. They then had to remove the husk (hard shell). From there, they could grind the grain into flour.
A model of an ancient Egyptian beer brewery.

6. What was the Neolithic Revolution continued…
E) By building permanent settlements, societies were able to store a surplus (extra) of food. This eventually led to…
CIVILIZATION
Water supply (often by river)
Trade
Complex government
Complex religion
Surplus of food & large population
Job differentiation (people do different jobs based on skills)
Class differentiation (people are ranked based on wealth and/or status)
Complex infrastructure (buildings, roads)

7. II Rise of the first cities
Catal Huyuk
Modern Turkey – First settled 7,000 BCE
B) Jericho
Modern Israel – First settled 7,000 BCE

8. Catal Hoyuk and Jericho: Neolithic Villages
Above is an ancient granary where the village of Jericho would store surplus (extra) grain. Why was that a significant accomplishment?
Catal Hoyuk houses were made from sun dried mud brick.

9. III Additional Neolithic Technology
A) Grinding Stone
Grinds grain into flour for bread and beer
B) Potters Wheel (c.6000BCE)
Allows the faster construction of pottery
C) Irrigation & Animal Pulled Plows
Faster and increased food production

10. Additional Neolithic Technology Continued…
D) The working of metals became very important in the making of tools and weapons.
1. Stone Age (Paleolithic) 5+ million years ago – 8000 BCE
Made tools and weapons from stone
2. Copper Age – 2300 BCE
Melted copper ore to create stronger tools and weapons.
3. Bronze Age – 1000 BCE
Smelted (melted together) copper and tin ores to form bronze.
4. Iron Age BCE – 550 BCE
Hotter smelting ovens allowed for the melting of iron ore.
Metals need extreme heat and great skill to soften or melt in order to create tools.

11. III Stonehenge… A Neolithic Mystery
A) Stonehenge is a Neolithic monument in southern England. It was built between 3100 and 1100 BCE in stages. At its height, there were 80 standing stones. The largest stones weighed 25 tons, and they were moved from Wales 240 miles away!
B) It may have been used as a burial site, for ceremonies, and/or as an astronomical calendar to aid in farming.
C) Historians are still unsure who built it. However, we do know that it took a large population with an organized labor force.

12. IV Neolithic Migrations
A) Indo-Europeans: Sanskrit (an ancient language of India) has many similarities to Greek, Latin, and Celtic. Historians believe this is due to migrations of the Indo-Europeans (4000 – 1000 BCE) during the Neolithic across Europe and India, whom had spoken an even more ancient “mother” language.

13. Neolithic Migrations Continued…
B) The First Americans: During the last major ice age (15,000 – 11,000 years ago), the ocean level was lower, revealing a “land bridge” connecting Siberia (Russia) and Alaska, which today is under the ocean. According to the Bering Strait Theory, Siberians walked from Siberia to Alaska following big game animals, and over many generations walked south, populating the Americas. However, because the oldest archaeological site in the Americas is Monte Verde in South America, today many scientists believe that people from Asia may have also arrived in the Americas by boat.

14. V Was the Neolithic Revolution Good or Bad?
Steady food supply
Increased population
Allowed for permanent settlements and the rise of civilization
Accumulation of wealth
Crop failure may lead to starvation
Disease from close contact with animals, humans, and waste
Increased wealth may lead to increased conflict and war
Unequal distribution of wealth

15. VI Development of River Valley Civilizations
By 3500BCE, relatively large, advanced civilizations had developed along the Indus, Huang He, Nile, and Tigris & Euphrates Rivers.

16. HW
Explain if you agree or disagree with Jared Diamond’s assertion that the Neolithic Revolution was mankind’s greatest mistake. *This does not have to be an essay; just answer the question in at least 2 paragraphs. Link to Jared Diamond’s article “The Worst Mistake in the Human Race”:

17. NY State Learning Standards 2
Key Vocabulary
Animal Domestication
Iron Age
Bantu Migration
Jericho
Bering Strait Theory
Neolithic Revolution
Bronze Age
Otzi the Iceman
Catal Huyuk
Paleolithic
Civilization
Plough
Copper Age
Revolution
Granary
Surplus
Grindstone
Smelting
Indo-European Migration
Stonehenge
Infrastructure
NY State Learning Standards 2
Common Core RS 1, 2, 7, WS 1